Material-conveying machine

ABSTRACT

A material-conveying machine for substantially nonflowable materials having a tendency to cluster in an agglomerate mass such as cottonseed, moisturized grain, pelletized animal feed and the like, comprising a self-propelled frame adapted to move in a predetermined forward direction into a pile of such material including material discharge means mounted on the frame for transporting and depositing such material transversely outwardly from the pile and a material excavating member borne by the frame in forwardly edgewardly disposed relation to the discharge means to undermine a relative small portion of the material beneath the major portion of the pile during forward movement of the machine so that the major portion of the pile is left unsupported for immediate unrestricted gravitational descent upon the discharge means.

llnited States Patent [72] Inventor Haskell C. Seroggins 7701 E. Huntsman, Selma, Calif. 93662 [21] Appl. No. 867,849 [22] Filed Oct. 20, 1969 [45] Patented Oct. 19, 1971 [54] MATERIAL-CONVEYING MACHINE 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. Cl 214/520, 198/104, 214/17 DA, 2l4/83.26 [51] Int. Cl. 1360p UB8 [50] Field of Search 214/520,

Primary Examiner-Albert J. Makay Attorney-Huebner & Worrel ABSTRACT: A material-conveying machine for substantially nonflowable materials having a tendency to cluster in an agglomerate mass such as cottonseed, moisturized grain, pelletized animal feed and the like, comprising a self-propelled frame adapted to move in a predetermined forward direction into a pile of such material including material discharge means mounted on the frame for transporting and depositing such material transversely outwardly from the pile and a material excavating member borne by the frame in forwardly edgewardly disposed relation to the discharge means to undermine a relative small portion of the material beneath the major portion of the pile during forward movement of the machine so that the major portion of the pile is left unsupported for immediate unrestricted gravitational descent upon the discharge means.

MATERIAL-CONVEYING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At the present time, cottonseed is hauled to the processing plant in large trucks or trailers having side opening doors from which the seed is removed by hand labor. The seed is deposited upon a conveyor belt of limited capacity for movement into the plant. In view of the relative nonflowability of the cottonseed which has a tendency to cluster in an agglomerate mass, conventional dump trucks cannot be employed since the entire load would be deposited on the conveyor belt in a mass which the belt does not have the capacity to accommodate. Accordingly, such loads of cottonseed are conventionally hand shoveled onto the conveyor belt which is, of course, a slow tedious process requiring a relatively large number of workmen to minimize the unloading time. Frequently, the processing plants are equipped with relatively large seed storage containers into which the cottonseed is discharged by shoveling from the truck or trailer beds. However, even where such containers are utilized, conventional dump trucks are not employed because of the substantial expense involved in providing the necessary hydraulic bed dumping systems which add considerably more weight to the vehicle and thereby reduce the payload transportable by such vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a material-conveying machine which is substantially selfloading.

Another object is to provide such a self-loading material conveying machine which is adapted for conveying relatively nonflowable materials, such as cottonseed, moisturized grain, pelletized animal feed, and the like.

Another object is to provide a material-conveying machine of the character described which substantially eliminates any hand labor during the loading of such material onto the machine or during the discharge of material therefrom.

Another object is to provide a material-conveying machine which can be easily and conveniently operated by a single workman. 7

Another object is to provide a material-conveying machine which has a pair of coacting loading and transporting conveyors which insure a controlled rate of material discharge therefrom.

Another object is to provide a material-conveying machine which utilizes a pair of coacting material loading and transporting conveyors wherein the loading conveyor is capable of initially excavating the lower portion of a pile of such relatively unflowable material from under the upper portion thereof to permit the upper portion automatically gravitationally to descend upon the transporting conveyor for its subsequent discharge outwardly from the pile.

Another object is to provide a materialconveying machine having a mobile selfpropelled frame on which is mounted a main material discharge conveyor disposed transversely of the direction of machine movement and a material excavating and loading conveyor disposed along the forward side edge thereof for causing the material gradually to be fed onto the main discharge conveyor.

Another object is to provide such a material-conveying machine which is readily adapted to be disposed within a fully loaded body or bin of a material transport vehicle for automatically emptying the body of such material in a minimum of time and with a minimum of physical effort.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will subsequently become more clearly apparent upon reference to the following description and accompanying drawings. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a material-conveying machine embodying the principles of the present invention disposed in an operating position within the bin of a materialtransporting vehicle for discharging such material laterally outwardly from the bin.

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged, perspective of the materialconveying machine removed from the vehicle body of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged, fragmentary, vertical cross section through the discharge end of the main discharge conveyor of the conveying machine.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the conveying machine of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat enlarged, transverse vertical section through the conveying machine taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation of the conveying machine of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a rear elevation of the conveying machine of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings, a material-conveying machine, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, is shown in FIG. 1 disposed within the bin 11 of a material transport vehicle adapted to contain a load 12 of relatively nonflowable material such as cottonseed or the like, which tends to cluster in an agglomerate mass within the body. The vehicle bin provides a floor l4, opposite forward and rearward ends 15 and 16, respectively, a closed sidewall 17 and an opposite material discharging sidewall 18. The discharging sidewall provides a downwardly hinged door panel 20 and an upwardly hinged door segment 22 adjacent to the forward end 15 of the body completely to open the discharging sidewall at that location.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 through 7, the material conveying machine 10 of the present invention provides an elongated, substantially rectangular frame generally indicated by the reference numeral 25. The frame is adapted to be selfpropelled in a predetermined transversely forward direction of travel from right to left, as viewed in FIG. 5, upon the floor 14 of the vehicle body 11 or other support surface indicated by the reference numeral 26 on which the load 12 or pile of similar material is rested. The frame provides a forwardly disposed, rearwardly inclined section 28 having opposite forward and rearward angular rail members 30 and 31 interconnected at their ends, as by welding or the like, by a pair of opposite annular side rails 33. The side rails include rearward extensions 34 in supporting relation to a substantially horizontal rear platform 35. The platform is mounted on a pair of inverted L-shaped angle members 37 which are interconnected at their ends by end panels 38.

An elongated material-supporting slide panel 40 is mounted on the forward section 28 of the frame 25 and has opposite forward and rearward upwardly turned flanged edges 4l and 42, respectively. The panel further includes opposite arcuately downwardly curved ends 45. An upwardly rearwardly inclined material backing panel 47 is secured by way of a bracket 48 to the rearward flanged edge 42 of the slide panel and is rearwardly supported by a pair of triangular brace members 49 disposed in upstanding relation on the rear platform 35.

The forward section 28 of the frame 25 is supported for the previously described forward movement upon the support surface 26 by an elongated screw auger 52 disposed coextensively along the forward rail 30 of the frame. The screw auger provides an elongated mounting shaft 53 about which is helically wound an elongated auger blade 54 having a plurality of equally spaced peripherally extended teeth 56. The opposite ends of the mounting shaft 53 are rotatably journaled in a pair of opposite mounting arms 58 forwardly extended from the forward section 28 of the frame. It is noted that the arm at the right-hand end of the blade is longer than the opposite arm as viewed in FIG. 4 so that the longitudinal axis of the blade is angularly related to the forward rail 30 of the frame to provide a gradually greater spacing therebetween. This affords the conveyor a greater capacity at its discharge end to preclude any clogging from the accumulated material being advanced along the spiral blade and material engaged head-on during forward movement of the machine into the load.

An hydraulic motor 60 is connected in driving relation to the mounting shaft 53 adjacent to the left-hand mounting arm 58, as shown in FIG. 6. An elongated shroud 62, which is arcuately curved in cross section in substantially conforming partially covering relation to the upper periphery of the screw auger blade 54, is secured in forwardly extended relation from the forward rail 30 of the forward section 28 of the frame to preclude dropage of material between the screw auger and the frame. The shroud includes a forward edge 64 providing a plurality of elongated slots 65 disposed in aligned receiving relation to the teeth 56 of the auger blades. Accordingly, any material disposed upon the shroud is continuously combed rearwardly thereof by the rotating toothed blade of the forward screw auger 52.

A main material discharge conveyor 70 is mounted for circuitous movement upon the slide panel 40 of the frame 25. The conveyor provides a pair of elongated endless chains 72 between which are extended a plurality of spaced substantially parallel material engaging and motivating flight bars 74. The chains are simultaneously traveled in sliding relation along the upper surface of the slide panel individually adjacent to the forward and rearward flanged edges 41 and 42 thereof respectively, by a pair of sprockets 75 disposed in supporting intermeshed relation with the chains at the opposite ends of the conveyor. The sprockets at the discharge end of the conveyor at the right-hand side of the machine, as indicated by the reference numeral 76 in FIG. 2, are provided with a coaxial hydraulic motor 77 disposed intermediate the ends of a sprocket mounting shaft 78 with the ends of the shaft being journaled in the opposite forward and rearward rails 30 and 31 of the frame.

In order to insure that no material is carried beneath the main discharge conveyor 70, a hinged flight bar cleaning strip 80 is disposed adjacent to the discharge end 76 of the main discharge conveyor 70. The cleaning strip is mounted on a substantially U-shaped frame having opposite arms 81 secured in downwardly inclined relation from the forward and rearward rails 30 and 31 of the frame with their lower ends being interconnected by an elongated mounting bar 82. The cleaning strip is hingeably connected to the bar by an elongated torsion-spring-type hinge 84 normally to maintain the strip in the inclined position shown in FIG. 3 disposed in a plane substantially radially extended from the sprocket mounting shaft 78 and against the arcuate curved end 45 of the slide panel 40. The cleaning strip is permitted to pivot in either direction to allow the flight bars 74 of the conveyor to pass by the strip whereby any accumulated material is removed and swept back into the material being discharged by the conveyor.

The rear platform portion 35 of the frame 25 is supported on the support surface 26 by an elongated machine-driving screw auger 86 of a diameter substantially larger than the forward screw auger 52. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the rearward driving screw auger provides an elongated mounting shaft 87, the ends of which are journaled in a pair of opposite bearing blocks 88 suspended from the extensions 34 of the opposite side rails 33 of the frame. The driving screw auger includes a helically wound blade 90 disposed in circumscribing axially advanced relation along the mounting shaft 87 and has a lower periphery disposed in driving scraping relation against the floor 14 of the vehicle bin 1 1 or the support surface 26 and a rearward periphery 92 extended outwardly from the rearward end of the frame. An hydraulic drive motor 93 is coaxially mounted on the right-hand end of the shaft 87, as viewed in FIG. 7, for powering the rearward screw auger.

An hydraulic power system, generally indicated by the reference numeral 95, is mounted on the rearward platform 35 of the frame 25 and provides a fluid supply tank 97, and an hydraulic pump 98 which is driven by an electric motor 99 for supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to the hydraulic conveyor motors 60, 77 and 93. The system is suitably controlled by way of a plurality of control valves, not shown, on the frame.

OPERATION The operation of the described embodiment of the subject invention is believed to be readily apparent and is briefly summarized at this point. When the material-conveying machine 10 of the present invention is utilized to unload cottonseed transporting vehicles at a processing plant or the like, the machine is adapted to be suspended from an overhead crane or hoist structure above the unloading station for the vehicles. After the vehicle body 1 l is properly parked beneath the conveying machine, the door panels 20 and 22 thereof are unlatched to open the discharge sidewall 18 of the body, as shown in FIG. 1. As described, the cottonseed is disposed within the bin in an agglomerate mass which is incapable of gravitationally flowing outwardly through the discharge sidewall, even after the doors are opened, without disturbance of the load by the application of some disrupting force.

The material conveying machine 10 of the present invention is lowered downwardly toward the vehicle bin 11 adjacent to the forward end 15 thereof. Prior to engagement of the machine with the cottonseed, the three conveyors 52, 70 and 86 are energized so as to propel the engaged cottonseed laterally outwardly from the vehicle body 11. It will be noted that during such downward entry of the conveying machine into the load of cottonseed, the main discharge conveyor 70 is traveled in a reverse direction from its normal direction of travel when disposed upon a support surface 26 or the floor 14 of the vehicle body 11. Accordingly, during its downward movement into the load of cottonseed, the flight bars 74 along the lower run of the conveyor move in a direction from left to right, as shown in FIG. 2, in the same direction that the material is being moved by the forward and rearward screw conveyors 52 and 86, respectively. Accordingly, such downward movement of the conveying machine continues until the lower peripheries of the forward screw auger blade 54 and the rearward screw auger blade engage the floor 14 of the vehicle body in the position of FIG. 1.

The direction of movement of the flight bars 74 of the main discharge conveyor 70 is then reversed by reversing the hydraulic motor 77 thereof to travel the flight bars in a direction from left to right, as viewed in FIG. 2, along the upper slide panel 40. The screw augers 52 and 86 are reactivated and are effective to motivate the conveying machine in a forward direction of travel along the floor of the vehicle body 11. It will be noted that during such movement, the closed sidewall 17 thereof serves to guide the conveying machine which extends substantially the full width of the vehicle body.

The screw augers 52 and 86 not only propel the conveying machine 10 but are effective to discharge encountered material in the load 12 laterally outwardly through the discharge sidewall 18 of the body. During such movement into the load, the forward screw auger 52 cuts into the lower portion of the load in undermining relation so that the agglomerate mass of material in the major portion of the load thereabove is left unsupported. The upper unsupported portion of the load subsequently collapses and descends upon the slide panel 40 of the main discharge conveyor 70 for movement along the panel by the flight bars 74 traveling toward the discharge end 76 of the conveyor. It is further noted that the material on top of the load may tumble rearwardly over the main discharge conveyor 70 but such material is caught and deflected downwardly upon the conveyor by the backing panel 47.

The forward excavating screw auger 52 is maintained in a substantially freely rotating nonclogging condition by its angular diverging relation to the forward edge of the discharge conveyor 70 to provide a larger capacity discharge end for accommodating the material in the pile encountered at the discharge end and the accumulation of material received from the opposite end of its screw auger blade 54. Clogging of the screw auger is further minimized by the shroud 62 with the teeth 56 continually moving rearwardly through the slot 65 in the shroud in combing relation to direct the material in rearwardly sliding relation over the shroud and onto the upper run of the main discharge conveyor 70.

During continued operation of the conveying machine in traversing relation along the floor 14 of the bin 11, the flightbar-cleaning strip 80 precludes the bars from carrying an appreciable amount of material beneath the conveyor to insure that all material is discharged outwardly from its discharge end. However, any material passed over or dropped by the forward screw conveyor is engaged and laterally discharged from the machine and the vehicle body by the rearward sweeping screw auger 86. Accordingly, a relatively thin slice of the material from the face of the load is continually being deposited upon the discharge conveyor along its entire length for immediate discharge from the discharge sidewall 18 of the body. This affords the discharge conveyor 70 a substantially greater capacity for discharging such material than any conventional type feed auger of comparable size which merely engages the cottonseed at its inlet end and discharges the feed outwardly from its discharge end. As described, the discharge conveyor 70 of the present invention continually receives material along its entire length due to the excavating undermining effect of the forward screw auger 52 along the forward edge of the discharge conveyor.

in view of the foregoing, it is readily apparent that the structure of the present invention provides a vastly superior material-conveying machine which is substantially self-loading even in relatively nonflowable materials which substantially eliminates the hand labor presently required during the unloading of cottonseed trucks at the processing plant and the like. The novel coaction between the main discharge conveyor and its associated screw auger along its forward edge permits even the most compacted load to be continually and substantially uniformly deposited upon the discharge conveyor for immediate transport and discharge outwardly from the truck body. With such coacting conveyor arrangement, the capacity for handling a substantially large volume of cottonseed is ob tained which cannot be matched by conventional conveying devices of a practical size for use in unloading such seed bearing vehicles.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A material-conveying machine, for substantially nonflowable materials having a tendency to cluster in an agglomerate mass, comprising a self-propelled frame adapted to move in a predetermined forward direction into a pile of such material; a powered material discharge main conveyor mounted on the frame providing opposite upper and lower runs having a direction of movement laterally related to said forward movement of the frame and oppositely spaced forward and rearward side edges; a material excavating rotary screw conveyor borne by the frame in forwardly disposed coextensive relation along said forward edge of the main conveyor for undermining the pile of material to permit edgeward entry of said main conveyor beneath the upper major portion of the pile in catching relation thereto; and an elongated shroud on the frame disposed in partially covering relation to said screw conveyor along said forward edge of the main conveyor in bridging relation therebetween to direct said material from the major portion of the pile rearwardly upon said upper run of the main conveyor, said shroud having a forwardly disposed slotted edge, said screw conveyor including a helically wound blade having a plurality of teeth peripherally extended therefrom for movement through said slotted edge of the shroud in combing relation thereto positively to motivate material on the shroud rearwardly toward the main conveyor, said frame having predetermined forward and rearward ends adapted for movement upon a support surface, said screw conveyor being mounted on the forward end of the frame in peripherally engaging scraping relation to said support surface, said main conveyor being upwardly rearwardly inclined in its transverse dimension from said screw conveyor in elevationally spaced relation to the support surface, and drive means elevationally supporting said rearward end of the frame for said movement of the frame along said support surface.

2. The conveying machine of claim 1 including a material backing panel upwardly rearwardly inclined from said rearward edge of the main conveyor above said rearward end of the frame to deflect material downwardly upon said upper run of the main conveyor, and said drive means comprising an elongated screw conveyor larger in diameter than said forward screw conveyor disposed in rolling driving engagement with the support surface in a manner transversely to discharge any material missed by the forward screw conveyor and main conveyor.

3. The conveying machine of claim 2 in combination with the body of an elongated material transport vehicle or the like having a floor and opposite end and sidewalls with one of said sidewalls being hinged to open the body for lateral discharge of material therefrom, and means to deposit said conveying machine within the body with said conveying machine being self-propelled along said floor of the body laterally to discharge said material outwardly through said open side of the body.

4. The combination of claim 3 including means for reversing the direction of movement of said main conveyor to permit the conveying machine to be lowered into a substantially full load of material in the body adjacent one end thereof so that the lower run of the main conveyor is effective laterally to discharge material from the body together with rotation of the forward and rearward screw conveyors in their usual common direction for deposit of said conveying machine downwardly through the material and onto the floor of the body prior to said forward movement of the machine along the floor to discharge the remaining material. 

1. A material-conveying machine, for substantially nonflowable materials having a tendency to cluster in an agglomerate mass, comprising a self-propelled frame adapted to move in a predetermined forward direction into a pile of such material; a powered material discharge main conveyor mounted on the frame providing opposite upper and lower runs having a direction of movement laterally related to said forward movement of the frame and oppositely spaced forward and rearward side edges; a material excavating rotary screw conveyor borne by the frame in forwardly disposed coextensive relation along said forward edge of the main conveyor for undermining the pile of material to permit edgeward entry of said main conveyor beneath the upper major portion of the pile in catching relation thereto; and an elongated shroud on the frame disposed in partially covering relation to said screw conveyor along said forward edge of the main conveyor in bridging relation therebetween to direct said material from the major portion of the pile rearwardly upon said upper run of the main conveyor, said shroud having a forwardly disposed slotted edge, said screw conveyor including a helically wound blade having a plurality of teeth peripherally extended therefrom for movement through said slotted edge of the shroud in combing relation thereto positively to motivate material on the shroud rearwardly toward the main conveyor, said frame having predetermined forward and rearward ends adapted for movement upon a support surface, said screw conveyor being mounted on the forward end of the frame in peripherally engaging scraping relation to said support surface, said main conveyor being upwardly rearwardly inclined in its transverse dimension from said screw conveyor in elevationally spaced relation to the support surface, and drive means elevationally supporting said rearward end of the frame for said movement of the frame along said support surface.
 2. The conveying machine of claim 1 including a material backing panel upwardly rearwardly inclined from said rearward edge of the main conveyor above said rearward end of the frame to deflect material downwardly upon said upper run of the main conveyor, and said drive means comprising an elongated screw conveyor larger in diameter than said forward screw conveyor disposed in rolling driving engagement with the support surface in a manner transversely to discharge any material missed by the forward screw conveyor and main conveyor.
 3. The conveying machine of claim 2 in combination with the body of an elongated material transport vehicle or the like having a floor and opposite end and sidewalls with one of said sidewalls being hinged to open the body for lateral discharge of material therefrom, and means to deposit said conveying machine within the body with said conveying machine being self-propelled along said floor of the body laterally to discharge said material outwardly through said open side of the body.
 4. The combination of claim 3 including means for reversing the direction of movement of said main conveyor to permit the conveying machine to be lowered into a substantially full load of material in the body adjacent one end thereof so that the lower run of the main conveyor is effective laterally to discharge material from the body together with rotation of the forward and rearward screw conveyors in their usual common direction for deposit of said conveying machine downwardly through the material and onto the floor of the body prior to said forward movement of the machine along the floor to discharge the remaining material. 